In all its fury and violence...
Career criminal Johnny Clay recruits a sharpshooter, a crooked police officer, a bartender and a betting teller named George, among others, for one last job before he goes straight and gets married. But when George tells his restless wife about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.
- Bleak ending
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Character
Earnest, grave, meticulous and plot-driven.
- earnestironic
- gravecomic
- rawmeticulous
- character-ledplot-driven
- warmbleak
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“Is the polish hiding a lack of heart?”
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“Is Sterling Hayden the best thing in The Killing?”
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“Is the heist the best part?”
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Curator Co.'s numbers.
- John Chardon TMDB · Mar 20198/10
This is a bad joke without a punch line. The Killing is directed by Stanley Kubrick who co-adapts to screenplay with Jim Thompson from the novel Clean Break written by Lionel White. It stars Sterling Hayden, Marie Windsor, Elisha Cook Jr, Vince Edwards, Jay C. Flippen and Coleen Gray. Music is by Gerald Fried and cinematography by Lucien Ballard. Ex-con Johnny Clay (Hayden) has a plan to make a killing at the racetrack, with some special inside help he plots to nab $2 million in an intricate robbery. It looks a good thing, the right people are in place, but there's a potential spanner in the works in the shapely form of Sherry Peatty (Windsor), the unfaithful and devious wife of one of the robbers. Cheaply made by Kubrick and his producer partner James B. Harris, The Killing is a lean and mean mid 50's film noir. Poorly received at the box office and met with indifference by critics upon release, it's a film that has come to be noted as hugely influential - more so as Kubrick's reputation has grown over the passing years. Clocking in at under 85 minutes, film is told in a fractured narrative structure that at the time was viewed as an oddity. Story is constructed around crosscut fl
Read the whole review on TMDB - CinemaSerfon TMDB · Jun 20237/10
Though it's Sterling Hayden who takes top billing here, it's actually Marie Windsor who steals the show as "Sherry". She is the rather money-grabbing, bullying, wife of "George" (Elisha Cook Jr). Now he works in the cashier's office at the local racetrack where "Mike" (Joe Sawyer) works behind the bar. These two are to be lynch pins in a daring plan to rob the place of two million dollars as it's feature race brings in the punters. Ex-con "Johnny" (Hayden) is the brains behind the scheme that also includes a bent cop "Randy" (Ted de Corsia), marksman "Nikki" (Timothy Carey) and financier "Unger" (the familiar face of Jay C. Flippen). Meticulous planning is required, diversions are created and it all looks set fair. Except, that is, for the blabbermouth "George" who tells his wife - in a bid to retain her love for him (and money) - who proceeds to tell her lover "Val" (Vince Edwards) and so a bit of double-play is soon on the cards too. It's constructed almost like a jigsaw puzzle, this film. We do a little bit of work on one aspect of the story, then move timelines and/or locations to another, or to another character before it all gradually comes together delivering a really effect
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Cast
- Sterling HaydenJohnny Clay
- Coleen GrayFay
- Vince EdwardsVal Cannon
- Jay C. FlippenMarvin Unger
- Ted de CorsiaPatrolman Randy Kennan
- Marie WindsorSherry Peatty
- Elisha Cook Jr.George Peatty
- Joe SawyerMike O'Reilly
- James EdwardsTrack Parking Attendant
- Timothy CareyNikki Arcane
Crew
- Stanley KubrickDirector
- Stanley KubrickScreenplay
- Lionel WhiteNovel
- Lucien BallardDirector of Photography
- Gerald FriedOriginal Music Composer
- Betty SteinbergEditor
- James B. HarrisProducer
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Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Curator Co. Other media included when they land close.
Point Blank 196775% alikeBoth grave, earnest, meticulous.
To Live and Die in L.A. 198571% alikeBoth grave, earnest, plot-driven.
Tokyo Drifter 196670% alikeBoth grave, plot-driven.
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse 193369% alikeBoth earnest, grave, meticulous.
Both earnest, grave, plot-driven.
Brick 200667% alikeBoth grave.
The Naked City 194867% alikeBoth earnest, grave, plot-driven.
Lady in the Lake 194667% alikeBoth grave, plot-driven.
A Way Out 201865% alikeGame · Both earnest, grave; this one is more overwhelming.
Game · Both earnest, grave, plot-driven.
Often watched with
Recommendations from TMDB. Opening one adds it to Curator Co.
